The National Statistics Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India organised the All-India Workshop of Trainers (AIWOT) for the Domestic Tourism Expenditure Survey (DTES) and the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) at the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, Telangana during May 28- 29, 2025. These surveys will be conducted as a part of the NSS 80^th Round for a period of one year starting from July 2025. The AIWOT is a preparatory training programme prior to the launch of the field work of the surveys

Ms. Geeta Singh Rathore, Director General (NSS) inaugurated the workshop on May 28, 2025 and in her address, underscored the significance of the NHTS and DTES survey data in the compilation of Tourism Satellite Account and Travel & Tourism Development Index. She emphasised the crucial role of the surveys in evidence based policy making and stressed the need for high quality timely data. She urged the participants to uphold rigorous standards in data collection and processing.

Ms. Sunitha Bhaskar, Additional Director General, Field Operations Division welcomed the esteemed dignitaries and participants to the workshop. In her address, while highlighting the important role played by the field officials in collecting crucial data for the surveys, she urged them to take utmost care at the time of data collection. She emphasised that the success of any survey of this kind would largely depend upon the techniques used by the field officials and the resultant cooperation from the respondents.

The event was attended by the Additional Director Generals and Deputy Director Generals from various NSS divisions. Field functionaries from all regional and sub-regional offices of the Field Operations Division (FOD) also participated, along with representatives from the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Railways, and the State Directorates of Economics & Statistics of participating states.

The Domestic Tourism Expenditure Survey (DTES) aims to collect detailed data on expenditure made by households for domestic overnight trips along with other important information required by the Ministry of Tourism for preparing the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA). In addition, information pertaining to domestic same-day trips will also be collected.

A dedicated National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) will be conducted for the first time in India based on the requirements of Ministry of Railways (MoR). The survey is aimed at collecting information on how, where, and for what purpose people travel within India, which is critical for making informed decisions on infrastructure projects and public transportation systems. The critical data collected in the survey will aid in policy development and infrastructure planning.

The survey will cover the whole of the Indian Union except the villages in Andaman and Nicobar Islands which remain difficult to access throughout the year.

National Household Travel Survey to collect comprehensive travel data informing infrastructure and public transport planning. The summary explains a preparatory national workshop for field personnel ahead of two nationwide surveys in the coming NSS round: the Domestic Tourism Expenditure Survey to collect household expenditure and trip data for the Tourism Satellite Account and the inaugural National Household Travel Survey to gather comprehensive travel behaviour data for infrastructure and public transport planning; the operation emphasizes rigorous field techniques, cross agency coordination, and near national coverage with specified accessibility exclusions.